Expat Gate Reviews 31

I would like to sincerely thank Expat Gate from the bottom of my heart. I still can’t believe we managed to purchase the perfect apartment in such a short time. The entire process was handled remotely, and our eyes on the ground were the excellent specialists, Kseniia Zimnitskaia and Anastasia Gaasenbeek. They immediately understood our request and resolved all issues promptly and professionally. If you’re looking to buy real estate in the Netherlands, I highly recommend Expat Gate.

This spring, we decided to buy a property in the Netherlands. Despite living here for over six years, we wanted professional support to navigate the process smoothly and avoid pitfalls. We found Anastasia through the ExpatGate Instagram page and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing. Here’s why:

Pre-Purchase Research:

Upon signing the contract for a full service package, we were required to pay €650 for mandatory pre-purchase research. The content of this research was basic, containing generic information about energy labels and superficial descriptions of cities like "nice city with parks." It might be useful for someone new to the country, but for us, it added no value. After receiving the report, we asked how the search for houses would proceed. Anastasia told us, "You need to search yourself on Funda to master your skill of searching." We didn’t understand why we needed this "skill" when we hired a professional to assist us.

House Visits:

Despite the lack of guidance, we managed to find a house we liked just one or two weeks after signing the agreement. During the first visit, the seller's agent mentioned we could come again before making an offer. We informed Anastasia and asked her to join, as per our agreement which stated that house viewings were part of her service. She responded, "Do you like the house? If yes, there is no need—I saw the photos on Funda." This response was disheartening, especially as a professional evaluation was part of the reason we hired her.

Bidding and Valuation:

The bidding process was informal since the sellers wanted to close quickly and would accept a good offer from the first few buyers. During our initial meeting with Anastasia, we made it clear we could only buy if the bank fully covered the bidding price (asking price plus any overbid). We relied on her for advice, and she suggested offering 7% above the asking price—€25,000 more—claiming this was realistic and would be supported by the taxation evaluation. We questioned this and suggested a lower offer, but she said we’ll probably loose. In the end, we chose to lower our bid by €10,000, and we still won the house. Later, the taxation evaluation of the house was €15,000 less than what Anastasia had estimated. This misjudgment could have cost us a significant amount if we would agree to the bidding advice we received.

Contract Issues:

The purchase contract included a section called "Lijst van zaken," listing items that would remain in the house. Anastasia initially said this section was filled out incorrectly and advised us not to sign, calling it "deeply unprofessional" and even implying the sellers might be trying to scam us. This led to 1.5 weeks of stressful back-and-forth communications. Eventually, the seller's agent explained that the form was standard, and suddenly Anastasia changed her position, saying, "You can sign the contract, everything is great," and dismissing our concerns as "being picky about formalities." For someone with years of experience, this lack of understanding was surprising and frustrating.

Final Payment:

Before our appointment with the notary, we were required to make the second and final payment for Anastasia's services. The fee listed in the notarial invoice was €650 higher than what was stated in our signed contract. When we raised this, she admitted her assistant had made a mistake in our agreement but said the correct price was on her website. She also mentioned that other clients chose "not to take advantage of this mistake," implying we were being unfair. We found this deeply unprofessional. The only legally binding document was the service agreement we had both signed, and trying to guilt us into paying extra felt manipulative.

Conclusion:

While Anastasia did fulfill some parts of her role, our overall experience was far below expectations. We felt misled, undervalued, and at times outright ignored. If we had the chance to do things differently, we certainly would. We hope this review helps others make an informed decision when choosing professional assistance for such an important process.

Я очень довольна сотрудничеству с этой компанией. Они помогали на всех этапах покупки жилья, предоставили много вариантов и качественно проконсультировали по районам города. Нашли квартиру за 2 месяца
Всем советую эту фирму для покупки недвижимости

Большое спасибо Анастасии за ее работу и профессионализм.

Мы приняли решение о покупке квартиры в Нидерландах через 10 месяцев после переезда и сразу же обратились к Анастасии за помощью. До обращения мы были подписаны на ее канал в Инстаграме, поэтому не было сомнений, что начнем работу именно с ней. Плюс, нам было важно, чтобы у нас был русскоязычный эксперт, сопровождающий нас в процессе покупки недвижимости (т.к. не было времени и желания на вникание в тонкости нидерландской системы покупки недвижимости).

Long story short, именно благодаря работе Анастасии и ее команды, мы смогли: выбрать подходящий район для нашей семьи с маленьким ребенком, не допустить серьезной ошибки при выборе первой понравившейся квартиры, и в итоге выиграть бид по квартире мечты.

Анастасия также посоветовала контакт русскоязычного эксперта по ипотеке, который помог выбрать подходящий контракт. В итоге, у нас был простой и в какой-то момент приятный процесс (несмотря на все сложности и премудрости местных правил).

Еще раз, спасибо и с большим удовольствием рекомендую Expat Gate.

During some of our most challenging times, we were fortunate enough to meet Anastasia, who helped us navigate through numerous difficulties! Now, as we sit in our cozy and spacious home, we are immensely grateful to write this review for our wonderful agent.

From the start, Anastasia devoted a lot of time to answering all of our 1,000 questions! She personally visited us to inspect the location and to get acquainted. Throughout our collaboration, we maintained a friendly atmosphere, and even in stressful, emotional situations, Anastasia responded adeptly and offered effective advice. She thoroughly explained the intricacies of the Dutch market to us, and then helped us develop a strategic plan that guided us towards our goal. Of course, we constantly added our own wishes and made adjustments, but Anastasia knows how "our" people think and impressively endured our many requests 😂

It’s also worth noting that Anastasia has a team, and we received comprehensive financial and consulting services throughout our engagement!

It's hard to find the right words to express just how much Anastasia has contributed to our happiness!! Thank you so much!! We highly recommend her!! Even if there's a wait—because I know she's very busy now 🏠

Now, we eagerly await a visit from Anastasia, not just as our agent, but as a friend!! 😁☺️☺️

I had an exceptional experience with my makelaar. Her thorough research on different areas gave me valuable insights into where I would like to live. She went above and beyond to check all the apartments I was interested in, ensuring they met my criteria before scheduling viewings. Her attention to detail was impressive, as she prepared a list of questions to ask during visits. This proactive approach saved me a lot of time and effort. She was knowledgeable about the local market and provided honest, practical advice. Her professionalism and dedication were evident throughout the process. Thanks to her work, I found the perfect apartment. I highly recommend her services to anyone in search of a new home. She truly made the experience seamless and stress-free.

My partner and I spent about two years searching for our dream home on our own. Realizing at a certain point that this process wasn't progressing, we decided to turn to a real estate agent. We chose Anastasia. Once we started working together, the buying process accelerated significantly. Just 2 months later, we signed a contract to purchase a house in a village near Amsterdam. Anastasia was always available, kept us informed of all developments, and provided necessary explanations about the purchasing process. Today, we've started renovations in our new home and we're incredibly grateful to Anastasia for her professional services and support!

Maryna&Dmytro
First of all, I would like to note Anastasia’s attitude and constant attentiveness during the process. I didn’t have to ask for an update every time; they were given automatically and on time. The second thing that undoubtedly became the decisive factor was going to the local area, since it was difficult for us to navigate outside of Amsterdam and previous experience worked out that life outside the city is not so comfortable. In general, Anastasia broke several of my stereotypes about buying a house - one of them was the expediency of buying a new property, the second was how to combine the countryside and office work in Amsterdam.
Due to a confluence of factors, adjusting expectations and the constant support of Anastasia and a financial advisor, we very quickly purchased a house in a wonderful area near Lake Twiske. From the conclusion of the contract with Anastasia to the signing of the agreement of intent to purchase, 2 weeks passed. I could not dream of this even in my wildest assumptions.

My husband and I were puzzled about buying an apartment on mortgage after living in a rented apartment in the Netherlands for a year. In the long term, owning our own home seemed more advantageous.

We had recently moved to a new country, were unfamiliar with the nuances of the market and the specifics of the legal component. We decided to turn to brokers.

We do not regret at all that we chose Expat Gate, because it was a personal warm approach from the very first contact! The process went smoothly for us without any problems or difficulties. Everything was transparent during the selection, viewings, and closing of the deal.

They also helped us choose a mortgage advisor. This turned out to be the right decision, as all the mortgage issues were resolved faster. Anastasia and her team were always available for any questions in the shortest possible time, provided us with a detailed report-statistics on the chosen location, districts, and features of the apartments in our price range, explaining why it is worth investing in housing or why not.

Anastasia offered options that completely met our criteria. Moreover, she personally came to the apartment acceptance and the deal with the notary.

We would like to express our great gratitude to Anastasia and her team for their work! And definitely recommend Expat Gate to anyone who is unsure about choosing a broker.
Alexander & Natalia

Our family is very generous to Anastasia, who not only saved us from scammers by reading our apartment rental contract, but also connected us directly with the real estate agent Vincent, who very quickly found a wonderful apartment for me and my husband in the city center! Thank you for your professional approach and help to foreigners!!! We sincerely recommend working with the company Expact Gate🙏🏻♥️

Ivan & Maria

We recently moved to the Netherlands and after a 1.5 of renting an appartment in Rotterdam, my wife and I decided to buy our own house.
Unfamiliar with the local market and legal details, we sought help from brokers and chose Expat Gate due to their warm, personalized approach right from the start. The entire purchasing process was transparent and went smoothly without any complications, making us very pleased with our decision.

Anastasia and her team were always readily available, promptly answering any questions we had. They provided us with a detailed report on the chosen location, highlighting the districts and specific features of apartments within our budget, and advising us on the viability of investing in each property.

We are extremely grateful to Anastasia and her team for their excellent service and would definitely recommend Expat Gate to anyone looking for reliable real estate brokerage services.